Last Saturday, Jeff came into the kitchen while I was making breakfast and said, “It’s too hot to do anything outside, but I don’t want to sit at home all day. Let’s go somewhere. Let’s look at some antique stores that haven’t You go there before.” Now, I rarely sit at home all day, so I already had plans to draw and work on this and that. But Jeff also rarely suggests going to antique stores, so even though I was mentally prepared for a day at home, I agreed to the suggested outing. We went to Cumberland, MD, which is a beautiful area but almost the entire downtown area was a construction zone, so many of the stores we were going to visit were temporarily closed or it was too hot to do much exploring on foot. Fortunately, we stopped in Hancock, MD first to take a look at the Hancock Antique Center and Flea Market.
When we first started browsing, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t find anything, but I’ve learned that you never know what will show up where, and you can’t always judge by appearance. While there were some nice antiques to be found, the overall feel of the store was more like a thrift store divided into stalls. It definitely looked more like a flea market than an antique mall. I did find a few pieces that caught my eye—an antique high chair, an ironstone bowl, and some old tools—but I didn’t have to buy anything to take home.
As we approached the last row of the store, my attention was drawn to a booth filled with ribbons and ornaments. At first glance, I thought I might find a roll of ribbon or two to add to my stash, but once I started digging, I realized that this was a treasure trove. I began grabbing a few items, cradling them in my arms, until I realized that I wouldn’t be able to carry them all.
“Jeff, you better get a cart.”
The wonderful thing about Jeff is that he used to protest when I asked him to bring a shopping cart to fill with rolls of antique ribbon, but he’s learned that my instincts are very strong when it comes to antique and vintage goodies. He came back with the cart, and as I started to fill it, I pointed out some soft, light green French silk ribbon. “It’ll sell for a dollar a yard easily, and this roll is $2 for 50 yards.” I put four ribbons in the cart—two 3/4-inch wide and two 1 1/2-inch wide. There were more rolls and I was tempted to buy them to sell, but I figured I’d leave them for other ribbon lovers to find.
Once I got past the rolls of French tape, I started noticing rolls of old ribbon wrapped in paper. Oh my god…she’s so beautiful. Most were $2-3 a roll, with the most expensive being $7 a roll of 4 inch wide brown silk ribbon.
I also picked up a box of ribbons for $21 and some vintage pieces. There were tassels and curtain ties for $1-2.00, tons of cords and garters and trim and buttons and notions, but I tried to buy the things I liked the most and thought I would use.
I think the seller who bought it as a store or warehouse was closing because everything looked like new/old stock. He obviously got a good deal because his prices were amazing. (I know the seller was a man because they told me at checkout that he had two booths in this antique mall and sometimes offered 50% off.)
When my treasures arrived home, I sorted through the grab box and made a donate bag for the ribbons I didn’t want. I bought the box for some rolls of navy grosgrain ribbon, but the main draw was this blue and white striped woven ribbon.
I don’t even know how much I have, but it’s a lot!
All the decorations and ribbons smelled musty and mothballs, so I waited for a sunny, breezy day and put them outside in the yard to air out. I turned everything over at midday and brought it in that evening. Placing old items in the sun and fresh air is one of the gentlest and easiest ways to remove unpleasant odors. It will take a lot of time to get rid of powerful spells like smoke, but this will do the trick for most pieces that have been stored for a long time.
“Solar cleaning” only takes about an hour and will act as a disinfectant, antifungal and will also help get rid of dust mites.
It’s perfect for items that you can’t easily put in the washing machine.
I’ve left them out most of the day to take advantage of the breeze and the musty smell is noticeably less than it was. Depending on the project, I may place a long ribbon or embellishment in a foil bag and place it in the washing machine before using it if I feel it is necessary. I couldn’t wash and restock them all!
While I was excited about all the finds, what intrigued me most were the antique tapes on their original spools and in their original paper wrappers. I have two rolls of French tape in that condition that I bought from Maria of Dreamy Whites, but I never imagined that I would find some of these in a country store antiques mall in Maryland.
The ribbons are pretty, but I’ll probably use these reels as decoration. They’re so rare!
These dumps likely date back to the 1920s-1950s, but I would need to do more research to pinpoint them.
French silk ribbon is one of my favorites. I’m sure it will be used a lot, especially around Christmas.
I also got several spools of dark blue grosgrain ribbon in varying widths…
I bought some decorations too. I’ve always loved the patterns on pillows and curtains, but I think they’re getting a bit old fashioned. When used in the right way, I think it can elevate the beauty of the entire room. I bought these off-white ornaments and I’m not really sure what they are! Does anyone know? The black thread confused me. Is it supposed to be cut or is it the part that needs to be sewn into the fabric? Anyway, I thought it had a great texture and I could tell.
I had a pile of this olive green thread, so I bought two spools for $5 each. This thread is great for cutting upholstery, lampshades, or pillows.
I couldn’t resist these cream and pale green onion garlands. At only $6 a roll, they were a great deal. Garlands like these can run anywhere from $10 to $30 a yard or more depending on the material, the maker, and the store.
I’m not sure where I’ll use it yet, but it works well for many rooms in my house, so it will make the right project.
As I shared my collection of ribbons and embellishments on Instagram, several people asked me how I would use all of them. While I had no specific plans for any of them, I told them you’ll be seeing these ribbons and embellishments in projects for years to come!